The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a wanted drug kingpin, Reginald Peter Chidiebere, who had been on the run for 13 years over cocaine and heroin trafficking cases.

Chidiebere was apprehended after surrendering to authorities on February 13, 2026, following years in hiding. He was initially arrested in 2013 for shipping cocaine into Nigeria and arraigned before Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court, Lagos, under charge number FHC/L/187c/2923. However, he jumped bail the same year and remained at large.

In February 2024, his name resurfaced as one of the masterminds behind the importation of 49.70 kilograms of heroin from South Africa. The consignment was intercepted by NDLEA operatives at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

A follow-up operation at his Golden Platinum Hotel & Suites in the Okota area of Lagos led to the recovery of an additional 2.20 kilograms of heroin from one of his guests. The agency subsequently secured an interim forfeiture order on the hotel and froze bank accounts linked to him. Facing mounting pressure, Chidiebere eventually surrendered and is now in custody to face pending and fresh charges.

In a related development, NDLEA operatives dismantled a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in Isiozi Obiato, Umuaka, in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State on February 25. The raid led to the recovery of 18.4 kilograms of methamphetamine, precursor chemicals, and production equipment.

At the Seme border in Badagry, Lagos, officers intercepted a Togolese woman, Hadiza Musa, with 5,000 pills of tramadol concealed in her luggage on February 27. In a separate operation, 1,040 kilograms of skunk were recovered from an uncompleted building at Akodo village, Seaside Eleko, along the Ibeju-Lekki axis of Lagos.

In Kano State, a 45-year-old suspect, Ashiru Bala, was arrested with 1,499 bottles of codeine syrup at Lambu in Tafa LGA. Similarly, a 21-year-old suspect, Yahaya Usaini, was nabbed along the Zaria-Dutsinma road in Katsina State while transporting 87.4 kilograms of skunk.

Operatives in Osun State also arrested two suspects in connection with the seizure of 18.085 kilograms of skunk in the Aregbe area of Osogbo.
In Taraba State, NDLEA officers intercepted a Mercedes-Benz vehicle conveying 637,600 pills of opioids, including tramadol, diazepam, and exol-5, along the Bali–Suntai road en route to Baruwa in Gashaka LGA. Another operation in Lankaviri Yorro area led to the arrest of a suspect and the seizure of 126.022 kilograms of skunk.

Additional seizures included 499.2 kilograms of skunk recovered in the Dei-Dei area of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and 7,000 capsules of tramadol intercepted along the Bama–Konduga road in Borno State.

The agency also sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign nationwide, conducting sensitisation lectures in secondary schools across Niger, Oyo, Jigawa, Cross River, and Kano states.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers across various commands for their efforts in curbing drug trafficking and balancing drug supply reduction with demand reduction strategies.

Reacting to Chidiebere’s arrest, Marwa reiterated the agency’s resolve to dismantle criminal networks and bring offenders to justice, praising the persistence and professionalism of the operatives involved.